Tapped for a glass of water

SOUNDING OFF:Ripped off? Stunned by good value? Write, text or blog your experience to us

Barry McCabe sent us a mail detailing what he describes as "one of the biggest rip-offs I have come across to date". One of his favourite quick restaurants for many years in London has been Yo! Sushi, so he was delighted to hear of its arrival in Dublin. "On having lunch at their new outlet in Swords Shopping Centre I was astonished when I received the bill. I was charged €2 for two glasses of water - approximate size 100ml each - on top of my food bill. This water is self-service from a tap that is mounted to each dining table." He says that in London, this same offer, or service, is free of charge. "If I thought I had to buy this for a €1 per glass, I would have ordered branded bottled water. As it is, I am so miffed by the cheek of it I wouldn't even go back."

We contacted the restaurant in question last week and it appears there may have been a certain degree of confusion as to what was on offer for €1. The restaurant manager confirmed that there was a €1 charge associated with the taps on the tables but said that this covered as many glasses of water as diners wanted. He said that it came from the mains but went through a cooling filtration system and was available in both sparkling and still varieties. He also said the charge was clearly advertised on the menu and said that there was a similar charge in Yo! Sushi's restaurants in London.

Gets their goat

Sue Murray sent us an example of the benefits of shopping around. She was browsing recently in the Gardenworks food and wine hall in Clonee, Co Meath when she saw a brand of goat's cheese that is also sold in Aldi. "This is priced at €2.19 in Aldi and €4.69 in Gardenworks - a difference of more than 100 per cent! I was shocked to say the least."

Elizabeth McCloskey did not have the luxury of shopping around when she was on the Limerick to Dublin train recently. She felt the urge for some chocolate as the trolley boy approached, but to her horror she was charged "the princely sum of €1.75 for a small bar of Cadbury's plain milk chocolate. Today I priced the same bar in my local Tesco - 82 cents. Need I say more?" Nope.

Short cut

Mary Carey from Drumcondra sent in a "really outstanding example of good customer service" which she experienced recently. "About two years ago, I purchased a cordless grass and hedge trimmer in Aldi," she writes. It has served her well but in May she had a problem recharging the battery. She got in touch with the manufacturers, Rothenberger Ireland Ltd asking about buying a new charger or battery.

She received an immediate response from the German HQ. She was told that the batteries she needed were out of stock and was asked to send a reminder the following week when a delivery was expected. "Imagine my surprise when I duly received not just a battery, but a complete new trimmer, free of charge. Such marvellous service surely deserves a big thumbs-up." It certainly does.

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Non-alcoholic beer

I was down in Cork last week and was charged €5.20 for a non-alcoholic Erdinger in a pub. My local off-licence, The Drink Store in Manor Street, Dublin 7, sells a large selection of good German non-alcoholic weissbiers including Erdinger at abut €1.90 a bottle, which I think is great value. Yet, in the supermarket in Smithfield (Fresh) they are charging €2.90 a bottle for Erdinger non-alcoholic. Why the inconsistency? And why are non-drinkers charged more for non-alchoholic beers in pubs than drinkers are for alcoholic beers? Do we still pay duty for non-alcoholic beers and, if so, why? Am I missing something? Harry

Bluetooth Marketing

There is nothing new about using Bluetooth as a location-based marketing tool. It's been happening in South Africa for over three years now, with very positive results. In the last three years South Africa has gone from one Bluetooth hotspot to over 200 across the country, mainly in malls. If you don't want to get a Bluetooth message don't turn your Bluetooth on. But turning your Bluetooth off will mean that you miss out on discount vouchers and free movie tickets. Dont fear a new medium just because you may personally not like it. Petros

Any new technology/format is disruptive at first. The problem is that we are losing any "personal" space. To avoid the ads, you have to turn off your Bluetooth; to stop getting marketing calls, you have to opt out etc. Progress? The jury is out. Shane

The single supplement

The single supplement is a malaise of the Anglo-Irish tourist trade. Everywhere else in Europe charges per room - so, single or double, it makes no difference. That in itself is, of course, creating an additional cost for the single person - but prices are so much lower on the continent it tends not to make a difference. Applet